Heretofore, metal support legs, of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,688 or U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,017, were used to support the metal sheath of a tubular bake element from the floor of a microwave oven. The leg shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,048,688 is a V-shaped wire leg which is welded to the sheath, whereas the leg shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,922,017 is a wire leg which is crimped on the sheath. Sheet metal legs, crimped onto the sheath, were also heretofore used.
However, the problem with these metal legs is that during microwave use, the metal-to-metal contact between the support leg and the floor of the oven created an arcing condition which interfered with the proper operation of the microwave energy.
The problem to overcome is the loose metal-to-metal contact between the oven floor and the adjoining part of the support leg. The problem could be solved by bolting or otherwise locking the leg to the floor of the oven, but this is objectional from a cleaning and replacement standpoint. Another way to solve the problem would be to insulate the floor of the oven to create a non-metallic surface, but this is expensive and might interfere with the microwave energy.
The support standoff or leg which is the subject matter of this invention provides a low-cost solution to the problem without the disadvantages mentioned above. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, a threaded metal stud is welded to the metal sheath of a conventional bake element, and a ceramic sleeve is threaded on the stud with its lower end adapted to engage the oven floor. Ceramic cement is preferably used to lock the sleeve to the stud.